Fernandez Earns First Joss Billiards Victory

Oct

Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour / Waterville, ME

by Lea Andrews

Dave Fernandez, who has made it to the finals of a Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour event but never to the winner’s circle, chose the tour’s season opener, “The Maine Event IV,” to earn his first title. Fernandez and 36 others gathered at TJ’s Classic Billiards in Waterville, ME, October 2-3 for the $1,500-added event, which was sponsored in part by Jon Lekis, owner of Total Amusements.

Fernandez and 36 others gathered at TJ’s Classic Billiards in Waterville, ME, October 2-3 for the $1,500-added event, which was sponsored in part by Jon Lekis, owner of Total Amusements.

Fernandez took care of Cody Francis 9-4 to reach the hot seat match against fellow past runner-up Ivaylo Petrov, who’d eased past Gareth Steele 9-3. Fernandez managed to notch up the final rack in their hill-hill match, sending Petrov over to the left side 9-8.

On the one-loss side, TJ Laflamme ousted Cleiton Rocha 9-5 and Ashley Nowlan 9-5 to meet up with Francis, who held him to seven games, planting him in fifth. Meanwhile, Jeff Kennedy was making a strong push towards the finals, making his way through Joe Dupuis 9-7 and Colin Maloney 9-7 to face Steele. Kennedy’s 9-5 win put him into the quarterfinals against Francis and put Steele into fifth, and another 9-5 victory put Kennedy one step closer to the finals, but Petrov cut his journey short. Looking not only for another appearance in the finals but also a rematch with Fernandez, Petrov hammered out the win 9-7.

In the first set of the true double-elimination final match, Petrov managed to push ahead, forcing the second set 9-7. At first, it seemed the second set would be a blowout, with Fernandez getting out to a strong 8-2 lead. But Fernandez wasn’t the only one vying for his first-ever win, and Petrov fought his way back, managing to get within one at 8-7. A dry break sealed his fate, though–Fernandez closed out the set with a smooth run-out, clinching the much sought-after title 9-7.

Notably absent at “The Maine Event IV” was Taylor Reynolds, the 12-year-old daughter of room owners Steve and Tammy Reynolds, who last year, at age 11, made history as the youngest person ever to win a match on the Joss Tour. Ms. Reynolds, a multi-faceted athlete, chose to honor her commitment to her basketball team rather than reap the benefits of her home court advantage.

In Sunday’s $500-added second chance non-pro event, 17 players competed for their share of the $840 total purse, the biggest chunk of which went to Joe Dupuis, who went undefeated through the field, ultimately taking down Doug Brown 3-2 in the finals. The next tour stop is October 8-9 at Trick Shot Billiards in Clifton Park, NY. For more information, please visit www.insidepoolmag.com/calendar.

The countdown to December’s Turning Stone Classic XVI has begun and the field is filling fast. Secure your spot by calling tour director Mike Zuglan at 518-356-7163.